Police: Students robbed while walking to school in Howard County
By Kim Dacey
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COLUMBIA, Maryland (WBAL) — Police are investigating several instances of students being robbed while walking to school in Howard County Monday morning.
Three robberies and one attempted robbery occurred while students were walking to school or waiting at the bus stop.
According to police, all the incidents happened in the span of 90 minutes. One took place right outside of Hammond High School.
“All the victims describe the same general suspects. We’re dealing with a group of juvenile suspects with their face covered and the same vehicle, which is a white SUV-type vehicle. These suspects jumped out of the vehicle and robbed these students of clothing, backpacks and cellphones, and they were gone almost as quick as they came,” police spokesman Seth Hoffman said.
The victims are middle and high school students ages 12-17. In each case, a group of juveniles attacked the victims, but no one was seriously injured. In two of the cases, suspects showed a gun.
“I think these kids, they’re– I don’t want to say out of control, but there is just a lack of discipline and regard for human lives. For them to be so young and have a gun, it’s just very scary right now,” resident Ashley Ellis said.
“I will tell my kids to be careful and to travel with another person, that you have to do the same kinds of things you do to stay safe anyplace,” parent Jeanne Bolton said.
Parents and community members said they are concerned, but it’s a reminder to teach kids how to be safe.
“I think it’s a teaching time for parents. You want to tell your kids to not just assume everything is perfectly safe, because it isn’t,” Bolton said.
Howard County Public Schools deferred to police on their investigation. Schools did not send a letter home to parents.
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